Olympic Sensation
Biles Falls Short on Balance Beam, Missing Podium
05.08.2024, 13:45 Uhr
Simone Biles embarked on a historic mission at the Olympics but faced a major setback in her fourth final on the balance beam, finishing outside the podium for the first time.
In a dramatic turn of events, gymnastics queen Simone Biles fell short of her goal of a fourth gold medal, finishing with a score of 13.100 and placing fifth. The 27-year-old superstar’s performance marked a significant departure from her previous triumphs in Rio 2016. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade appeared poised for success, delivering a solid routine but receiving a surprising score of 13.933, placing her fourth.
The gold medal on the balance beam went to Italy’s standout performer, Alice d’Amato, who scored 14.366. China’s Zhou Yaqin took silver with 14.100, while Italy’s Manila Esposito earned bronze with 14.000. Unfortunately, no German athletes qualified for the final, as former world champion Pauline Schäfer-Betz was eliminated in the preliminaries.
Biles accepted her score with a blank expression, aware that her pursuit of a record-breaking ninth Olympic gold would come to an end in Paris. Only former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky have achieved such remarkable victories in Olympic history.
Having withdrawn from the team competition in Tokyo in 2021 due to mental health challenges, Biles remains with a total of seven Olympic gold medals. She will have one more chance to add to her medal count this afternoon as she heads into the floor final as the favorite. In previous Olympics, she secured bronze on the balance beam in both Rio and Tokyo.
